William S. Lind: What Is To Be Done?

Free Congress Foundation ^ | 8/25/03 | William Lind

[JohnGalt]

Glad to see the Free Congress Foundation advocate a sensible policy position of getting the troops home before Christmas. I doubt it will happen, but conservatives need to rally around some finite point to thwart the nation builders and the Vichy-cons among us who would have us build a 'welfare state Democrats could be proud of' in the Middle East.

From another thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/971959/posts , I learned that there are a number of people on this board who believe its a sensible policy to keep troops in Iraq so as to provide terrorist targets for the 'enemy.'

That revolting position is not conservative, it is not patriotic, and in no way can that be called supporting the troops.

Declare victory and bring the boys home, GW.

[camle]

you mean like we were supposed to do in Bosnia? IIRC we're still there years later. Nobody complains because a democrat put us there.

[JohnGalt]

An excellent comparison, indeed, that underscores the importance of supporting a 'bring the boys back home' policy. This would put Bush squarely opposite the D's running for President who have all indicated that they will spend more and more on rebuilding Iraq.

[Rudder]

What the hell are we doing, fighting a war or having a Christmas party? Never have I read of such a nutty idea coming from any conservative writer. Oh, I got it, it's a humor piece!

William Lind must be a pseudonym for Barbra Streisand.

[gaspar]

For Libertarians selfishness is a credo and self-sacrifice is stupidity. And honor is just a word found in the dictionary. Using just pen and ink, they will fight to the death for just one thing -- the right to smoke pot and ingest dope whenever and wherever they want. They were the fencesitters in the Revolutionary War, the draft dogers in the Civil War, the pro-Debs coterie during WWI, the American Firsters in WWII, the American expats in Canada during Viet Nam, and now the 'bring the boys home before Christmas' whiners in the global war on terrorism. They are History's losers.

[caltrop]

I couldn't agree more. The sooner we're out of Iraq, the better.

[american spirit]

The question I have is what is happening to the $ from Iraq's oil revenues and is some or all of that going to help pay for the rebuilding effort?

[rdb3]

Once we have set a date, there will be less reason for Iraqis to attack American soldiers. Those soldiers will be gone soon anyway; why not just wait for them to leave? Further, once it is known when we will leave, Iraqis' focus will shift to each other and the internal conflicts that will shape the future of Iraq.

Oooh! Has the author a familiar spirit? Is he a soothsayer? A prophet, perhaps?

How the hell does he know what the Iraquis' focus will be? Has he spoken with them? How can he speak definitively what will happen?

This opinion is ridiculous.

[JohnGalt]

Does your definition of honor include putting 19-year old girls from West Viriginia on the frontline?

[hchutch]

Seems to me the "wimp" crowd wants to leave a job half-done. I'm not down with that.

[caltrop]

I was a Lieutenant in the paratroops in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and I feel this war was unjustified and unwinnable, a real fool's errand. When I say "we" shouldn't be there I mean it. I've been in combat in Vietnam and am subject to recall if we dig in our heels in Iraq and screw it up to the degree I suspect we might. If, like most of the neocons, you managed to avoid subjecting yourself to combat and have no intention of going yourself or sending any of your loved ones then maybe you should go easy on the nonsense.

Like cowards in battle, who are there but don't count, those who cheerlead others into war without being willing to subject themselves or their loved ones to the dangers involved shouldn't count either.

[Poohbah]

Does your definition of honor include putting 19-year old girls from West Viriginia on the frontline?

Do you understand the concept of "volunteer?"

[Poohbah]

I was a Lieutenant in the paratroops in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and I feel this war was unjustified and unwinnable, a real fool's errand. When I say "we" shouldn't be there I mean it. I've been in combat in Vietnam and am subject to recall if we dig in our heels in Iraq and screw it up to the degree I suspect we might.

OK, we should make policy based on your personal fear of being recalled to active duty.

[JohnGalt]

Does your definition of honor include putting 19-year old girls from West Virginia who volunteered on the frontlines?

How 'bout to serve as targets for terrorists?

[rdb3]

If, like most of the neocons, you managed to avoid subjecting yourself to combat and have no intention of going yourself or sending any of your loved ones then maybe you should go easy on the nonsense.

"[G]o easy on the nonsense?" Look who's talking!

Check it, how can anyone go to the military if they have not volunteered? There is no draft.

You are attempting to "punk" this poster based upon lies. And that's dishonorable, "sir."

[rdb3]

What do you expect from reactionaries except reactions?

[dennisw]

You got that right ... that's right where "John Galt" is coming from. I always knicker when I see libertarian jackballs borrow a name from an Ayn Rand book. How friggin' lame.

Libertarianism. The religion of I, me, my and mine.

[tm22721]

We are not there to help Iraq.

We are there as bait to draw out the Islamic radicals in Iran and Syria.

Once they are out in the open, we can kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.

There is no other choice..

And I am glad that Bush has not fallen for their ploy to provoke a strong American reaction (like nukes) which would draw in all one billion of their Muslim brethern.

Slow and steady, kill them one by one. It may take a hundred years to clean it out.

BUMP

[Poohbah]

Does your definition of honor include putting 19-year old girls from West Virginia who volunteered on the frontlines?

Yes. Believe it or not, people VOLUNTEER for the military, and it is spelled out in excruciating detail what the consequences of VOLUNTEERING for military service are when you enlist.

How 'bout to serve as targets for terrorists?

When I was in the Corps, we always said that "USMC" stood for "U Signed the Mother****ing Contract."

[dennisw]

I was a Lieutenant in the paratroops in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and I feel this war was unjustified and unwinnable, a real fool's errand. ...............

Thanks for your opinion but there are many who have served in Vietnam who are in favor of our war on Iraq. Tommy Franks also has a biography of service. So do those under his command.